Top 100 Biblical Girl Names in the US

Adah

Hebrew

"ornament"

Adah is a biblical name twice over—one was the mother of Jabal and Jubal, the other was a wife of Esau. The latter Adah and Esau’s descendants settled in Edom and became the Edomites. Adah is…

Elisheva

Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Elisheva was the original name of Aaron's wife in the Book of Exodus; Elisheva gains strength and distinction via the v sound.

Junia

Latin, Feminine variation of Junius

"born in June"

Juno is hot, June is showing signs of a comeback along with other month and day names, whereas Junia, the name of the the first century Christian referred to by the apostle Paul as an apostle (and…

Athaliah

Hebrew

"God is exalted"

Unisex name from the Old Testament, which is very in-keeping with current naming trends for girls.

Zipporah

Variation of Tziporah, Hebrew

"bird"

There are many variations of this name, with or without the initial T and the final h, with one p or two. In the Bible she was the wife of Moses.

Susana

Susana is a feminine name with Hebrew and Spanish origins, being a Latin variant of Susannah, derived from the Hebrew name Shoshana meaning "lily" or "rose." This elegant name appears in biblical…

Eunice

Greek

"good victory"

Eunice is a New Testament name of the mother of Timothy, long associated with one of the Kennedy sisters, the founder of the Special Olympics. As high as Number 106 in the early 1900s, it lasted on…

Tamar

Hebrew

"date palm tree"

Tamar is a rich, strong Old Testament name sometimes given to girls born on the holiday of Sukkoth, as palm branches were used to make the roof of the sukkah. In the Bible, there are several Tamars,…

Edna

Hebrew

"rejuvenation, delight"

Edna is one of those names that, until what it seemed like a few minutes ago, felt so terminally frumpy that no one could imagine a parent choosing it for an innocent modern baby girl. But with the…

Susannah

Hebrew

"lily"

Susannah is by far the most stylish form of the classic name now that Susan and Suzanne have retired. Susannah has biblical and musical pedigrees, is impervious to trends, and has an irresistible,…

Shifra

Hebrew

"handsome, good"

In the Bible this was the name of a midwife who helped deliver Moses.

Keren

Hebrew

"ram's horn, ray of light"

Israeli-born singer Keren Ann introduced this traditional Hebrew name to the US, where it could well be mistaken for Karen. Nevertheless, 100 girls were given the name in a recent year.

Tirzah

Hebrew

"delight"

A fairly common Hebrew name without much crossover potential.

Elisha

Variant of Alicia or Hebrew

"God is my salvation"

Elisha (ee-LYE-sha) is an Old Testament male name, sometimes borrowed for girls. Pronouced eh-LEE-sha, it is also used as a spelling variant of Alicia or Elysia.

Candace

Latin

"white, pure, sincere"

Candace, an ancient title of a dynasty of Ethiopian queens mentioned in the New Testament, is associated both with actress Candice Bergen and Sex and the City writer Candace Bushnell. Both spellings…

Rhoda

Greek

"rose"

To those who remember, Rhoda is still reminiscent of the brassy Bronx 1970s sitcom Rhoda Morgenstern. But Rhoda has a much longer history--it is a name that can be found in the New Testament as a…

Atara

Hebrew

"crown"

Also written as Atarah, this regal name appears in the Old Testament, borne by the wife of Jerahmeel. With its confident air and concise appearance, it was given to just under 50 girls in the US in a…

Bethel

Hebrew

"house of God"

A rarely used Biblical place-name with a soft and pleasant sound.

Zemira

Feminine form of Zimri, Zamir, or Samir, Hebrew, Arabic, Albanian

"song, music; heart, mind, conscience; companion for the evening talk; good voice"

A multicultural choice with a zippy yet elegant sound, Zemira may be interpreted as a variation of the Hebrew Zimri or the Arabic Zamir and Samir. From its Hebrew roots, Zemira may have the…

Jemima

Hebrew

"dove; daytime"

Jemima, the name of a strong and beautiful Biblical daughter of Job, has long been among the chicest choices of aristocratic Brits, and has since shifted to be used more generally too, replacing…